Andornot Blog

It started with a simple request… “Could you help us add permalinks to our web Catalogue textbase records?”, but it ended with 3 new textbase interfaces, an ordering cart, a mobile interface, the ability to add records to RefWorks and, of course, permalinks.

At the beginning of this project with the Capital Health Library, it was quickly determined that, given the age of the current web-interface, adding permalinks to the records could only be accomplished using canned searches with rather long URLs. That was rejected and a discussion ensued that resulted in the addition of many new features to the site.

Out with the old and in with the new. We started with the backend by revising the textbase data structures and ditching a bunch of unused fields and forms for the Catalogue and Pamphlets textbases. The Catalogue had a separate interface for journal check-in and item ordering, which was also revamped. Using the Andornot Starter Kit for Inmagic’s DB/TextWorks, we were able to provide nice clean desktop screens with a minimal number of forms, including a couple of links to saved sets from the menu screen, e.g. new catalogue items added in the past 30 days. Given that the Capital Health library staff were already familiar with the Inmagic DB/TextWorks program, it was not a big jump to start using these new desktop interfaces and they adapted quite quickly.

More clean up and integration. The web-interface overhaul followed using the Andornot Starter Kit for Inmagic’s WebPublisher PRO. This included new search screens, brief report forms, and full display forms with “see also” links and Permalinks for the Catalogue, Journals and Pamphlets interfaces. All of which was nicely integrated into the Capital Health Library website template. Google book covers and links to Google Books were made available on both report and full display forms in the Catalogue. Users of both the Catalogue and the Pamphlet textbases now have the ability to add items to a cart, for ordering, and/or Email, Save and Print. In addition, within the interfaces, users can also link to selected websites, e-books, e-journals or to in-house PDF files. Quick links to the other textbases and back to the Library website are readily available on every page.

Go-small-and-go-home. Why not let the users have access to the systems wherever they are located, even if it is on the bus, in the hospital, or at home? Using the mobile version of the Andornot Starter Kit, we added a couple of mobile interfaces. These included the Catalogue textbase as a whole, with all its links to e-books, e-journals, Google Books, websites, etc. as well as a separate journal subset.

Research counts. A slight delay in the launch occurred when it was discovered that RefWorks was a big part of the Capital Health library world, but that it took about 10 steps to implement this in order to get catalogue records into RefWorks. Some coding later and we were able to add the RefWorks feature to the Email, Save and Print portion of the cart allowing a much smoother path from catalogue to bibliography.

“We got much more than we expected when we asked about Permalinks! We now have an ordering system for our patient pamphlets, a direct-to-RefWorks button and mobile-ready search pages for our catalogue and our journals. All of this is based on the Inmagic software that our staff know so well. Andornot worked with our Information Technology department to get us to a new level of service. The look and feel is close to what our users know, so there is limited change for them, but behind the scenes, we now have more searchable fields, simpler systems, and, of course those Permalinks! All in all, an excellent experience!” Penny Logan, Capital Health Manager Library Services

Future ready. With all these new features now in place the library is well positioned to move into the future, providing the Capital Health staff with an abundance of new information access options.

Provincial and territorial medical associations (PTMA) in Canada set policies on various issues such as emergency room overcrowding, nurse practitioners, electronic medical record keeping, prescription drug usage, etc. for their particular jurisdiction. The Health Policy and Research (HP&R) department of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) was asked to create a repository of these policy documents and make them available to all PTMAs. The library was already managing a database of CMA policies and was asked by HP&R to set up a similar database for the PTMAs.

Now researchers at each PTMA can access and compare policies from various jurisdictions, assisting them in the creation of their own policies.

Elizabeth Czanyo says, “I think the database will be a useful tool for our provincial partners, and help them collaborate in policy creation across the country. Working with Denise Bonin and her team at Andornot was great – they were fast, professional and really knew their stuff!”

St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario recently asked Andornot to help upgrade the presentation of its online archival collections. The collection includes digitized photographs, school yearbooks and alumni magazines dating back to the school’s first years in the 1900s. The upgraded site provides alumni and others with a fascinating journey through the school’s history. Alumni may now browse and search very easily for memories of their time at SAC.

Andornot upgraded the SAC archives’ DB/TextWorks database to the latest version of our Archives Starter Kit, upgrading the desktop forms and query screens as well as the web application. Some highlights of the new website include:

Social bookmarking and permalinks allow users to share records with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter and other online services.

Results may be viewed in a gallery-style grid layout or in a more traditional list, as well as sorted by relevance, title and date.

The website features the front cover image of yearbooks and alumni magazines; however, the full contents have been digitized and are hosted by the Internet Archive. Search results provide links to view content in various formats, including PDF and as an online flipbook. See, for example, this record: http://archives.sac.on.ca/permalink/925 and its View Online Flipbook link.

The photo commenting feature allows users to identify students and others in photographs. Users can circle individual people or faces in a photograph and provide the name or other comments for that person. Comments are emailed to the school archivist for review and to update records.

Thumbnails and enlarged images are generated dynamically from a single master image.

The selection list allows users to save or print the list, as well as to mark records of interest to email to themselves or to friends. In the future, users may be able to order reprints of photographs online.

The new website layout complements the school website for a seamless transition from one web application to another.

Andornot created many of the archival records from a data conversion: SAC had digitized thousands of photographs, all saved to DVD. Andornot took those image files, extracted identifying information such as name and dates, and used that information to create initial records. This saved considerable time compared with manual database entry for each record. The College archivist will enhance the records further with names and other identifying information, in part from comments received through the photo commenting feature.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) Library recently switched from an in-house built library catalogue system to Inmagic’s DB/TextWorks and WebPublisher PRO, becoming the fifth British Columbia health authority to do so. The new system provides staff in all the VIHA hospitals and health-related offices (and from their homes and elsewhere, too) access to more features than were previously offered. Because the catalogue is on the Internet, the public can use it too, although requesting items is limited to staff only. Several of the VIHA library staff have used Inmagic software in other library settings and were delighted to be using it again.

The VIHA library catalogue on the web: http://viha.andornot.com is based on the Andornot Starter Kit and features Quick and Advanced search screens, a few popular topic searches – using canned searches. The search results include Google book covers, which add both colour to the site and links to more details about each book; icons for quick material type identification; Permalinks to provide a link that remains unchanged over time (for sharing and bookmarking); and functions for Ordering requests and Email, Save and Print for sharing or personal use.

They now join other BC Health Authorities, including Fraser Health, Northern Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Interior Health, and similar health organizations; all using the same backend Inmagic software. As a result, this facilitated the inclusion of the VIHA catalogue into the popular Health Libraries Association of BC (HLABC) OneSearch where search terms can be entered into a single search box and all the catalogues can be searched quickly at the same time. Librarians from all the health authorities have commented how much they like to use the OneSearch system to locate items not in their collection, thus providing a time saving search mechanism and a wonderful resource sharing tool.

Both the new features in the VIHA catalogue and the inclusion in the HLABC OneSearch system provide greater functionality to all the VIHA users, including both staff and public alike. Cliff Cornish, Regional Manager, Library Services, comments:

“It is wonderful to finally have a modern OPAC, and it is great to be able to participate with the other Health Authority Libraries in the HLABC search.”

Are you looking for photographs of women musicians, such as group called the Bostonia Orchestra?

Check out the textbase on the long-time Inmagic software user website at Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Center for Popular Music (CPM) to find all those answers and more.

Andornot worked with fellow Inmagic Partner, Ann Stringfield from InfoCrofters in North Carolina to amalgamate 9 unique Inmagic textbases into one combined textbase of almost 90,000 records. You can now search in one user friendly interface for manuscripts, periodicals, photographs, posters, playbills, programs, rare books and scores, sheet music, song broadsides and trade catalogues. Ann comments:

“The MTSU Center for Popular Music staff's dedication to their craft is evident in their provision of full lyrics, first lines, and extensive notes. Now we all know that Elvis Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" was once choreographed for a ballet!"

As stated on the site’s About Us page: The music business of Tennessee has long been an important segment of Tennessee's economy. In addition to Nashville, the cities of Memphis, Knoxville, Bristol, Chattanooga, Cleveland and Lawrenceburg have played significant roles in music publishing, broadcasting and recording. The Center's collection documents these business activities as well as musical ones [all in one central location].

Using the Andornot Starter Kit, the textbase features a quick and advanced search screen, several brief record result formats, a full display format, plus excellent textbase navigation. Social media elements include an Email, Save and Print option, including a Select All ability, Permalinks and Bookmark and Share attributes. Images are being added to the newly created textbase, with the Song Broadsides collection containing the most images at the moment. Grover Baker, The Center for Popular Music (CPM) librarian states:

“One reason we selected Andornot and their Starter Kit is that we felt it could meet all of our current needs while carrying us into the future.“

He comments further:

“Working with the folks at Andornot has been a wonderful experience! From the outset, it was obvious that they had taken time to become familiar with our database and the different types of items found within our collections. Because they were able to recognize that our collections are somewhat akin to those found in museums, they combined features from their Museum Starter Kit with those in the ASK Starter Kit. Andornot was able to tailor the search screens to work seamlessly within the template of our website. The results are fantastic, and our users are going to love searching with the new database!

Andornot coordinated with our campus IT staff to install the system on our server. When they ran into a glitch, they were able to determine the problem and get everything working properly in an amazingly short period of time.”

Contact Andornot for more information on how to integrate your textbase into your website template, improve textbase navigation and add a multitude of social elements.